Grant Application Form 2008/09 - Query

Sanguine Fan

Hello,

I hope to become a mature student for the first time this year. I have just received the Grant Application Form from my local council and I have been poring over it.

One of the questions in the section "Candidate's Previous Academic Attainment" reads as follows:

Do you hold an Undergraduate qualification? (e.g. Certificate, Diploma or Degree Higher Certificate, Ordinary Bachelor Degree or Honours Bachelor Degree)?

Over the course of my working life I undertook a number of part-time evening courses and I have accumulated a few certificates and diplomas. Is this what they after here?

I suppose the safest thing would be to answer 'Yes' to this question, but later on in the form they require details of all full-time 3rd level courses undertaken. This suggests they are interested only in previous full-time post-Leaving Cert. education.

I'm confused, so any clarification of this would be gratefully appreciated.

Essentially - yes they are after any and all previous qualifications. So you know a bit of background, they are basically looking to see if you are eligible since if you already have a degree/dip/whatever and are looking for a second one, you won't (normally) be eligible. So since this is your first degree (I guess) you should be grand. But yeah, they're looking for those details alright.

Generally, these type of questions are best answered directly by your Council just so you know - I'm not trying to fobb you off, just commenting that since they admin the scheme, they can usually give 100% answers rather than guesses

Hope it all works out OK for you though.

Sanguine Fan

Many thanks for that.

I started working after the Leaving Cert. and never went to college. I was a bit confused by the term "Undergraduate qualification".

Thanks for the good wishes. I'm looking forward to entering the groves of academe.

brown-dog

I'm a bit confused by the whole thing but have to fill in the form to - I have been a student for the past two years but found the last year really hard so are applying for help for my final year - does anyone know if this effects my application

brown-dog

brown-dog wrote: »

I'm a bit confused by the whole thing but have to fill in the form to - I have been a student for the past two years but found the last year really hard so are applying for help for my final year - does anyone know if this effects my application

Hi brown-dog,

At present, the system operates as follows:

When you enter college, you are a certain category of student. So if you're a mature student independent (in the eyes of the Councils and VECs, so you'd have to be a mature student living away from your parents the October before hand and have proof of this - so just your income and your spouse's, if applicable, would be taken into account) on your first day of college, you'll be a mature independent student all the way through... unless you move back in with your parents, whereby you should then technically be reassessed as a mature dependent student (so both your and your parents' income would be taken into account).

The final category is 'other than mature' which is basically everyone who wasn't 23 or over on the 1st of January in the year they enter college - confused yet?!

So assuming you are eligible no matter what category you are in the income from all of last year will determine your eligibility, unless there has been what's termed a 'change in circumstances'.

...so to answer your question - there are many different possibilities for you being eligible or not. It's possible you are eligible, and it's possible you might not be. I assume that you have talked to your local Council/VEC about it? They are the people who admin the grant scheme so they would be the best people to ask.

One other thing to keep in mind. In every college, there's something called the Student Assistance Fund, which is available to students who are experiencing a certain level of hardship during the year. It isn't bottomless but it might be good just to keep in mind. Most colleges will have more information available from the Students Services Departments / Tutors / Mentors / Chaplaincy / Students' Unions.

Note that the present system is undergoing change, so again the best people to talk to about what's happening right now would be the Council/VEC.

Dónal

patrickoneill0

Hey that's good advise, was wondering if you could help me?

I am returning as a mature student, and have completed an undergraduate degree. I am currently full time employed, but will be finishing up to return to college. I am living at home, and both my parents employed, so over the threshold for a grant i'm thinking. Was thinking that I should "move" to my grandmothers house, which is approx the same distance from college, about 4 miles, to become entitled to a grant. My granny would have no problem with me staying, but don't want to get in trouble with Social Welfare, etc... Any suggestions? Also getting married next June to throwing that into the mix So it'll be a busy year next year

DenMan

Hey Patrick

Regarding "moving in" with your Grandmother, it wouldn't be a problem. They (County Council, VEC, Social Welfare) would require a bill of some kind with your name on your Grandmothers address which would have to have been from Sept of last year I believe. Or anything really, mobile phone statement, Bank Account statement. Hope that helps. It is just proof they require of you having resided there for the past year. Would you have that or something similar?

Den

patrickoneill0

Thanks Denman,

That's what I was thinking I'm not living there, and don't think I receive any mail there. Time for another cunning plan Baldrick!